Switzerland
History At the outbreak of war, Switzerland was a confederation of 25 self-governing cantons. Due to its multinational nature, Switzerland presented Germany with a similar problem to the Low Countries: balancing it's own irredentist designs with those of neighbouring states. However, with no colonies, Germany had no reason to support the integrity of Switzerland. Post-war, each of the Swiss cantons, along with a number of French departments, was allowed to decide by plebiscite whether to join Germany, Italy or remain part of the confederation. At the time of the plebiscite, Switzerland was under Italian-German occupation. Ticino and Grigioni voted overwhelmingly for union with Italy, as did the French region of Savoy. The contiguous cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva, Neuchatel and Valais (collectively known variously as Suisse Romande, Suisse Romanda, Svizzera Romanda, Romandie or Welschland) all opted to remain in the Swiss Confederation, as did Basel-Stadt. The French departments all voted to remain French, with the exception of Jura and Doubs, which were partitioned and attached to Bern. The new Switzerland, with its capital at Montreux, was placed under the protection of the Italian Emperor, legitimised with reference to the Savoy claim to the Barony of Vaud. The remaining 16 Swiss cantons voted for membership of the German Reich. Each canton was annexed to Germany as a unique gau or pagus (known collectively as Ostschweiz). Liechtenstein, although not a member of the Confederation, also opted to join the Reich at this time, also as a unique gau under the governorship of the ruling prince, Franz Josef II. Basel-Stadt was annexed by Germany in 1957, one of the last post-war territorial anomolies to be resolved this way. Due to its crucial position straddling the German-Italian border, Switzerland is home to the formal organisations of European and Axis unity: the Congresso Fascista, the Comitati d’Azioni per l’Univsalita di Roma, the Antikominternpakt, the Stahlpakt, the Union Mondiale des Nationaux-Socialistes, etc, as well as the various SS-stay-behind organisations (Wehrwolf, Schwert, etc). The former leader of Hungary, Ferenc Szalasi, is resident in Switzerland as the Head of the Axis Pact Nations. Post-war Swiss Cantons #Bern/Berne: oldest of the remaining Swiss Cantons, ethnically and confessionally mixed. Led by Bernhard Schaub, leader of Swiss Youth Movement (from 1979). Population: 1,000,000. #Fribourg/Freiburg: large German-speaking minority. Led by Albert Friedrich Armand Huber (from 1957). Population: 250,000. #Vaud/Waadt: a Barony attached to the House of Savoy. Home to the new national capital of Montreux, as well as the cantonal capital of Lausanne. Nominally led by the Baron of Vaud, also the Prince and Count of Savoy, in the person of Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Savoy and from 1969 Emperor of Italy. De facto control exercised by the financier and President of the Swiss Confederacy Francois Genoud, with the philosopher Guy Amaudruz effectively running the cantonal government. Population: 750,000. #Geneva/Genf: home to the most populous city of Switzerland, also called Geneva. Led by Georges Oltramare (to 1962). Population: 500,000. #Neuchatel/Neuenberg: the only canton to join Switzerland as a monarchy (the Principality and County of Neuchatel, ruled by the House of Hohenzollern). Led by Prince Wilhelm Victor of Prussia, a grandson of the last German Kaiser. Population: 250,000. #Valais/Wallis: large German-speaking minority. Led by Prince Frederick of Prussia, a grandson of the last German Kaiser, and member (by marriage) of the extended House of Guinness. Population: 250,000. #Jura: created 1951 from parts of the Canton of Bern and the French departments of Jura and Doubs, with Pontarlier as capital. Led by the French-born soldier Henri Joseph Fenet. Population: 750,000.